A family member has spoken about the horror of her barn fire and heroically saving her farmland animals from a burning barn.

As previously reported, Somerset firefighters arrived at Maunsel Road, near North Newton, Bridgwater yesterday evening (October 24) following reports of a barn fire.

Upon arrival crews found a single-storey timber outbuilding, measuring approximately ten metres by 15 metres, was ablaze, and used jets to bring it under control.

Lauren Trevarthen, lives at the Maunsel Road site with her mother and spoke about how she reacted to the fire that quickly destroyed the barn.

Photo of the accidental barn fire. The fire completely destroyed the building (Image: Lauren Trevarthen)

“I was in the house when I heard screaming and shouting and loads of bangs thought it was fireworks but then one really loud bang which must’ve been one of the oil drums exploding”, she said.

“So I looked out the door saw the flames sky high and ran up the top.”

People on the rural site quickly moved the cars away from the engulfed farm but Lauren and her friend was immediately concerned about the animals in the barn.

She commented: “Luckily all of the horses were in the field. So I opened up the stable which we were temporarily using as a chicken shed, got the mum and two chicks out and all the other hens and cockerel.

“Another oil drum exploded while were in the shed. So then we stood back and the fire crew came.”

Lauren and her friend, who wishes not to be named, both rescued 10 hens, two chicks and a cockerel from the burning barn. She then suddenly realised a cockerel was missing.

“I then noticed the cockerel was missing and one of the crew said ‘oh he’s still in the stable’ and they had bolted the door trapping him!”

Lauren Trevarthen with her rescue cat, Mouyang, and one of her hens (Image: Lauren Trevarthen)

The cockerel was eventually saved from the burning barn. Lauren added that it was “very lucky they got here just in time” as a second barn full of hay straw, aerosols and car parts would have been on fire.

The barn fire is believed to have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage and destroyed half of their agriculture equipment.

Lauren also fears about the whereabouts of her cat, Mouyang, but hopes she is hiding scared somewhere.